


Poisoned

by BeccaAnne814



Series: Steve Rogers x Reader Series [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M, Near Death Experiences, Poisoning, Severed Appendages, Suspense, Violence, cursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:23:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21646000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeccaAnne814/pseuds/BeccaAnne814
Summary: A mysterious bottle of wine shows up in the lobby of Avengers Tower and sets off a chain of events you never saw coming.  Will you be able to handle the aftermath, or will this ordeal finally drive a wedge between you and Steve forever?
Relationships: Steve Rogers x Reader
Series: Steve Rogers x Reader Series [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/774303
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	Poisoned

**Steve Rogers x Reader**

**Summary** – A mysterious bottle of wine shows up in the lobby of Avengers Tower and sets off a chain of events you never saw coming. Will you be able to handle the aftermath, or will this ordeal finally drive a wedge between you and Steve forever?

**Warnings** – Poisoning, Suspense, Near-death experiences, angst, violence, severed appendages…probably a curse word or two

**Word Count** – 12.1K

**Notes **\- Parts 1 - 10 of 10

** _**Updated October 6, 2019**_ **

_ ** [Masterlist](https://beccaanne814.tumblr.com/post/174989754188/masterlist) ** _

[[MORE]]

"Look kids, Christmas came early," Tony announced as he entered the common room holding up a bottle of wine with a bright red bow tied around the neck.

"Christmas was a week and a half ago," YN said without even looking up from her book.

Tony rolled his eyes, but the gesture was lost on YN since she wasn't paying any attention to him.

"I'm a glass half-full kinda guy," Tony said with a snarky look on his face.

"Where did you find that?" Steve asked as he finally turned his attention to the billionaire.

"It was left at the front desk downstairs." 

Steve gave Tony a chiding look. "Who's it from?"

Tony let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know—it's a bottle of wine, Rogers. Boy, you two are a ray of sunshine today, aren't you?"

YN looked up from her book to glance at Steve sitting across the room from her on the sofa. Tony wasn't wrong—she and Steve had had a fight that morning about something stupid and now they were both trying to prove to the other that they weren't bothered by it at all. So far, it wasn't working.

Tony eventually gave up and started rummaging through the refrigerator for something to eat.

"I'm hungry," he announced. "You guys want anything?"

Steve glanced down at the watch on his wrist. "It's almost time for dinner. The weather is pretty mild today so I set out a few steaks this morning to grill."

Tony pulled the steaks from the fridge and gave them a sniff. "Don't bother getting up. I'll grill the steaks. It's not like I don't do anything around here—just foot the bill for everything and make sure security is up to par."

Steve's eyes met YN's across the room and neither one of them could keep the smile off their faces. Tony always got cranky after Christmas—they figured it had something to do with the total lack of social engagements after five straight weeks of parties and get-togethers. YN referred to it as Tony's Mid-Winter Crisis.

Once Tony had put a few potatoes in the oven to bake and was on the balcony grilling, Steve and YN went back to their books. They knew they should probably help him make dinner, but they thought it would be good for him to have something constructive to do that didn't include creating another murder bot.

"Dinner's ready," Tony announced once he'd gotten everything prepared and set the table.

"It smells amazing," YN said as she closed her book and made her way to the dining room table. "Thank you."

Tony's smart-ass reply died on his lips at YN's last words. He knew he'd been a bear to deal with following the New Year's Eve party, but he was bored. Pepper was busy back at work, and the rest of the team was scattered across the universe trying to mop up the mess Thanos had left.

"You're welcome," he said finally as they all took their seats. "Eat up."

There was something about sharing a meal with someone that helped to ease the tension between them. By the time they'd finished their salads, Steve and YN had completely forgotten their earlier disagreement and were laughing and joking with Tony.

"This wine is delicious," YN said as she swirled the contents of her glass and took another sip. "What brand is it?"

Tony shrugged. "I didn't look."

Steve frowned as he looked down at the glass in his hand. "This isn't the bottle you got earlier, is it?"

Tony's brow furrowed. "Yeah, why?"

YN's attention was focused on Steve, so she knew the second that something wasn't right. "Steve? Are you okay?"

"I don't know," he answered as he took a couple shaky breaths. "It's getting a little hard to breathe."

"Tony?"

Tony didn't need YN to elaborate—he knew exactly what she was implying. "I feel fine. You?"

"I don't feel anything."

Not knowing what was happening, but knowing that they needed to act quickly, YN and Tony both rose from their seats and hooked an arm under each of Steve's. Together they helped him walk toward the bank of elevators just outside the common room.

Once they were in Tony's lab, they helped him to lie on one of the exam tables. In the time it had taken them to get from the dining room to the lab, Steve's condition had worsened dramatically. He was barely able to catch his breath and every joint in his body ached.

"What's happening to me?"

"Give me a minute," Tony said as he tapped on the screen of one of his monitors.

A blue light shone down from above Steve's head and did a slow sweep of his entire body. As the light moved over him, lines of code appeared on the monitor in front of Tony.

"What is it?"

"His entire system is deteriorating—and fast," Tony said. "Go get that wine. I need to know what's in it."

YN hated to leave Steve, but she knew they needed to know what they were dealing with if they were going to stand a chance at reversing the effects. With one last squeeze of Steve's hand, she rushed back to the elevator.

She had been gone less than five minutes, but she was shocked to see the condition Steve was in when she returned. His face was pale and ashy, and there was a fine sheen of sweat across his brow.

"He just keeps getting worse," Tony said as he took the bottle of wine from YN. "His spine is contorted, he's breathing like he's having an asthma attack, and his heart rhythm is completely erratic."

The list of symptoms that Tony was listing sparked a memory in her. "It's reversing the serum."

"What?" Tony looked at YN with confusion apparent in his eyes.

"Asthma, Scoliosis, the heart arrhythmia—those are all things Steve suffered from before the serum." She paused and looked down at the man she loved. "Whatever is in that bottle is stripping him of his health, and if you can't figure out a way to reverse it, he may not survive this."

Tony poured a bit of the wine into a test tube and placed it into a machine on his work bench. The machine whirred to life as it began analyzing the liquid. When the results popped up on the screen, he shook his head in frustration.

"This isn't my field of expertise."

"You're a genius—figure it out," YN chided from her seat next to Steve.

Tony let out a groan of frustration. "I need Bruce here for this. He'd have this figured out in a second."

"Well, he's not here—he's off somewhere with Thor," YN reminded him. "Even Dr. Cho is halfway around the world. You're all we've got, Tony."

"Dr. Cho," Tony said with a clap of his hands.

"We don't have time for her to get here from Korea."

"We don't need her," Tony said as he rushed to the other side of the room and uncovered a cylindrical machine.

"Is that one of her cradles?" YN asked hopefully.

"It is, but it's broken," Tony confirmed as he pried open the control panel and began to tinker. "She asked me to replace the induction coil months ago, but with Thanos and the whole 'almost dying in space' I kinda forgot about it."

"I'm assuming you have the coil, but will the cradle be able to reverse whatever this is?"

"Of course I have the coil," Tony said as he began opening random drawers. "It's around here somewhere."

With a shout of triumph, Tony held up the coil. 

YN didn't want to get her hopes up, but the only alternative was to give up altogether. Looking down at Steve, her heart began to ache at the thought of losing him.

"Hang in there. Tony's going to fix this."

Steve's eyes were half-closed and his breaths were coming in sporadic gasps, so YN wasn't sure if he could hear her or not. Taking the chance that he could, she continued to whisper words of encouragement to him as Tony worked frantically to get Helen's cradle up and running again.

"Got it," Tony announced after a few minutes. "I'm going to need you to help me get him over there."

YN nodded as she and Tony each took one arm and all but carried a semi-conscious Steve to the other side of the room. By the time he was lying in the cradle, YN was sweaty and she knew she was going to feel the strain on her muscles in the morning.

Tony closed the lid and pressed a series of button on the control panel. "Keep your fingers crossed that this will work."

She knew it was silly, but she did exactly as Tony instructed and crossed the fingers on both of her hands. This was their only shot, so it had to work.

Tony's eyes were glued to the readout on the monitor of the cradle, but YN's gaze was focused solely on Steve. So far, she hadn't been able to notice any improvement in his condition, but he'd only been in the machine for a few minutes.

"How long before we know if this is going to work?"

Tony held up a finger as he continued to monitor the readout on the screen. "I think it's working now."

"How do you know? What's it say?"

"The cradle has identified the poison in his system and is taking measures to counteract it."

YN held her breath—just because the machine had detected the poison didn't mean it had the capability to flush it from his system.

"Do you think the damage it's already done will be permanent?" she asked hesitantly, not sure if she wanted to know the answer to her question or not.

"The whole point of this machine is to repair damaged organic material," Tony said with a shrug. "I can't image it wouldn't be able to reverse the effects of the poison."

YN sat on one of the rolling stools beside the cradle and buried her face in her hands. She hadn't allowed herself to cry—or to even think about crying—since this whole ordeal had begun, but now that she and Tony were forced to sit and wait she was finding it hard to keep her emotions at bay.

Time seemed to drag by as the machine continued to work. YN thought that she saw an improvement in Steve's pallor, but she wasn't sure if it was just wishful thinking on her part.

Tony reached over and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "He'll be fine."

"I hope you're right."

After the most stressful hour YN had ever endured, the cradle beeped and the lid began to slide open.

"Is it done? Is he okay?"

Tony checked the readout and began to slowly nod his head. "His vitals are stable and according to this, there doesn't seem to be any of the poison left in his system."

YN reached down and brushed a hand over Steve's face. "Steve? Can you hear me?"

Steve's eyelids began to flutter as YN drew in a breath and held it. When she finally saw the blue eyes she'd come to love over the past few years meet hers, she let out the breath she'd been holding with a sob.

"Oh my God," she said as she leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I thought we were going to lose you."

"I'm still here," Steve whispered with a shaky laugh. "Tony can't get rid of me that easily."

"Hey now," Tony said with an affronted look on his face. "I busted my ass bringing you back from the brink of death."

"And who's fault is it that I was there in the first place?" Steve asked as he carefully began to sit up. 

"How was I supposed to know the wine had been poisoned?"

YN and Steve both gave him a hard look.

Tony held up both hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Point taken."

"There's still one question that needs answered," YN said with a worried look.

Steve knew exactly what she meant. "Who sent the wine?"

YN waited until Steve was sleeping peacefully before slipping out of their room. She hadn't left his side once Tony had fixed the cradle that had saved her boyfriend's life, but she had questions that needed to be answered before she could even possibly think about sleeping.

The hallway was faintly lit, but the Tower was completely quiet as she tiptoed her way to the common room. It was unnecessary since everyone was off doing their own thing, but the gnawing sensation in her gut was keeping her on edge.

Pulling out her phone, she keyed in the number she'd memorized weeks ago since she refused to program it into her phone. With her fingers flying across the tiny keyboard, she typed out her message.

"What in the hell did you do?"

She stared at her phone as the messaged delivered and the three little dots began blinking as the person on the other end began replying.

"It's none of your concern. Our deal is done."

Rage coursed through her veins. Like hell it wasn't any of her concern.

"Steve almost died tonight. That was NOT part of the deal."

"Don't blame me, sweetheart. And don't contact me again."

She typed out a message that would've made a sailor blush, but when she hit send, an error message popped up. That bastard had blocked her number. Throwing her head back, she resisted the urge to scream. Deep down, she knew he was right—he wasn't the one she should be blaming.

As her anger deflated, she sank to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest. What had she gotten herself into, and how was she going to fix it?

She gave herself a few more minutes of self-pity before she pulled it together. Guilt was eating her alive, but she knew what she had to do now. Pausing at the door, she glanced down the hall toward her suite with Steve. For a moment, she considered coming clean to him now, but he'd already been through so much—he didn't need to deal with her betrayal on top of everything else. Dropping her head, she strode to the elevators and pressed the button to take her to Tony's lab.

As she'd predicted, the billionaire was still up and tinkering with one of his suits. She knew he'd heard the quiet swish of the automatic doors, but so far he was ignoring her presence. 

"I wondered when you'd finally come to see me," he all but snarled as he continued to work.

With a sigh she realized that he hadn't been too distracted to look at her—he'd been too pissed. "When did you figure it out?"

He put down the piece of armor and turned to look at her. His eyes were blazing with anger, but she couldn't blame him.

"You forget who you're talking to. I know guilt, sweetheart."

Tears began to well up as she shook her head. "I had no idea, Tony. They were just bookies. How was I supposed to know they had the capability to create a poison like that?"

"What are you talking about?" Tony asked as confusion furrowed his brow. "What bookies?"

Now it was her turn to be confused. "Are you saying that Nicky Esposito had nothing to do with the wine?"

"How do you know Nicky Esposito?"

YN nodded toward a stool. "Do you mind? This is a long story."

Tony shrugged.

"It's my brother," she began as she rolled her eyes. "My stupid-ass brother."

"I never had one of those, but I've heard they can be a pain."

She laughed in spite of herself. Tony had a way of making any situation lighter. "Be glad you don't. Mine has been nothing but trouble since he was born."

Taking a deep breath, she tried to figure out where to start. She could go back to high school when he'd started selling pot, but he'd given that up after a scare with the cops. There was always college where he'd set up the illegal sports betting ring, but that had just been child's play. The real trouble had begun when he'd gotten involved with the mob.

YN hadn't believed it when she'd first found out. Only people in the movies got in over their heads with the mob these days. But no, her loser brother had to go and get on the wrong side of the most dangerous people—other than HYDRA—in New York.

"My brother has a gambling addiction," she finally admitted. "He's got a lot of addictions, but gambling is the one that almost cost him his life."

"What happened?"

"It started out small—at least that's what he told me. A hundred dollar bet here and there, but eventually it got out of hand. He was making bets hoping to cover the losses on others and his luck eventually ran out. Nicky Esposito got wind of the debts and used it to blackmail him into other illegal activities. By the time my brother fessed up to what he'd done, it was too late—he'd already signed a contract with Nicky."

"That's when you got involved?"

She looked up at Tony and was surprised to find a look of sympathy on his face. "Yeah. I went to Nicky's office hoping I could intimidate him into letting my brother go, but by the time I got there, he'd already beaten my brother half to death."

Feeling the tears start to well up again, she looked up and blinked them away. "He was a mess, Tony. I honestly didn't think he was going to live after what they'd done to him."

"What did Nicky ask you to do?"

"It was a simple request," YN said as she dropped her head again. "He just wanted a piece of Steve's uniform. 'The bloodier, the better,' is what he told me. I seriously thought he just wanted a trophy piece. If I'd known. . ."

"Why didn't you come to me?" Tony interrupted as he stood and ran his hands through his hair.

"I was embarrassed," she admitted softly. "I'm an Avenger. I'm not supposed to get caught up with mobsters and bookies."

He turned on her and pointed a finger at her accusingly. "You didn't get caught up with them—your brother did. There's a difference." His anger faded and he let out a sigh. "Where's your brother now?"

"I've got him in a rehab facility. He's still recovering from the beating he took from Nicky's guys."

"Does Steve know about him?"

"A little bit," she admitted. "We actually had a fight about him earlier today."

Tony nodded his head in understanding. "So that's why you two were giving each other the cold shoulder."

"Yeah. He wanted to go on a short trip next week, but I told him I didn't want to leave my brother for that long."

Tony scooted over and laid a hand on her shoulder. "You know you're going to have to tell him everything now." 

"How do I tell him I'm the reason he almost died tonight?"

"You made a mistake. If you own up to it, Steve will forgive you. He'll be pissed off for a while, but he loves you."

YN let out a long breath and cradled her face in her hands. "I just don't understand. How did Nicky Esposito make a poison that could reverse the serum?"

"He didn't. HYDRA ended up with the bloody uniform and they made the serum."

"How do you know?"

Tony nodded toward his suit sitting in pieces on his work bench. "I took a little trip after you and Steve went to bed." He saw the look of confusion on her face, so he elaborated. "I looked at the security footage and found the guy that delivered the wine. FRIDAY ran facial recognition and I traced him back to a HYDRA facility just across the border in Canada."

"You went in alone?"

"I can handle a solo mission, kid. I was taking out terrorists by myself for awhile before the Avengers." He gave her a cocky smile. "The threat has been neutralized. All their data was destroyed and the facility is a pile of ashes."

"Someone could still have the formula," she reasoned.

"Which is why you need to tell Steve," he reminded her. "I'll back you up if you want me to."

She shook her head. "No. This is something I need to do on my own." She looked at her watch. "It's late. I'm going to grab a few hours of sleep and then I'll tell him in the morning."

"Just remember he loves you."

"I know," she said as she stood to leave. "I just hope he remembers that as well."

Steve had never been one to have a convincing poker face, and YN had loved that about him until this moment. She'd just confessed everything to him and for the first time in their relationship she was getting the 'eyebrows of disappointment.' He'd used them on other members of the team, as well as various bad guys, but she hadn't realized how little she would feel once they'd been turned on her.

So far he hadn't said a word, and she was starting to get nervous. She could see his jaw clenching and unclenching with repressed anger, but she had no idea if it was directed at her, her brother, or the mob boss that had sold his blood to HYDRA. Any one of those three options would a justifiable recipient of his wrath, but YN wouldn't be surprised if it were a combination of them all that had him all but seething.

Usually so cool and collected, his leg had begun to bounce quickly under the table and YN had no idea what that that meant for her. That was usually a sign of nervousness, and for a moment she couldn't understand why he would be nervous.

Then it hit her.

He was probably scared that something like this would happen again. Tony had assured him—just before he'd left to give them some privacy—that he'd destroyed all the work the HYDRA scientists had done on the anti-serum, but it seemed as though Steve wasn't convinced. YN couldn't blame him for his apprehension. He'd almost died the night before because of her colossal screwup, and there was still a chance that someone out there had a copy of the formula and could come after him again.

He shot her a glance across the conference room table and her heart sank. His eyes were cold and hard, and it killed her to know that she was the reason they looked so unforgiving. She knew she didn't deserve his forgiveness—she didn't deserve him.

Silently she cursed her brother. Why did he always have to be such a pain in her ass? And why did she always feel the need to bail him out whenever he got in over his head? She'd promised herself time and time again that she wouldn't help him anymore, but he knew just what buttons to push to weaken her resolve. But not anymore. This time someone other than her had paid the price, and she would never put Steve's life in danger again—not even for her own flesh and blood.

Abruptly, he stood and began to pace the room. YN could see the tension in his shoulders as the too-tight t-shirt stretched across the muscles that were flexing and bunching under the thin fabric. She'd seen his temper on a few occasions, so she knew he was desperately trying to keep a tight leash on it at the moment. 

Her stomach began to roll as her mind went to the worst case scenarios. This was obviously the end of their relationship, and she couldn't blame him. But what if he demanded that she leave the team? She shook her head slightly to try to rid herself of these destructive thoughts, but it was no use. The seeds of doubt and worry had taken root, and now she couldn't quiet the demons that were threatening to drive her mad.

Steve stopped suddenly and turned to glare at her. Keeping her face as neutral as possible, she waited to see what he would say. She swallowed hard and waited to hear what the consequences of her actions would be.

Nicky Esposito was one of the most feared men in New York City, but Steve wasn't worried about some two-bit punk who liked to bully and intimidate people to make himself feel powerful. Back in the 40s, he'd faced down guys twice as tough as Esposito—and still had a few scars to show for it—but things were different now and the mob boss would be begging for mercy once Steve was finished with him.

The guards at the front of the club were lying unconscious on the floor before they even knew what hit them and Steve strolled into Nicky's main haunt without anyone realizing he was there. He'd considered donning the suit for intimidation purposes, but this wasn't an official mission, and he wanted Esposito to know that Steve Rogers—not Captain America—was responsible for the worst ass beating he'd ever received.

There were a few more men outside of Esposito's office, but like the guards at the front, they didn't put up much of a fight. Throwing open the door, he was pleased to see the look of panic on the mob boss' face. An evil smirk spread across his own as he casually strolled into the room.

"You look scared, Nicky," Steve taunted. "What? I thought you were a fan?"

Esposito called out for his men, but Steve just smiled and nodded toward the empty doorway behind him. "They're a little busy at the moment. I thought you and I could use a few minutes alone to discuss some things."

"I don't know what you've heard," Esposito began, but he quickly stopped speaking when Steve rounded the desk and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

Steve lifted the mobster out of his chest and brought him up to his eye level. "You know damn well what I'm talking about."

When the color drained out of Esposito's face, Steve felt a rush of power surge through him. He'd spent so many years fighting against higher powers, he'd forgotten how good it felt to stick up for the little guy.

"My business with your dame is done," Esposito struggled to say as the tie around his neck began to choke the air from his lungs.

"I do believe that's the first truthful thing you've said to me since I walked into this room," Steve snarled as he got right up in Esposito's face. "But our business is just beginning."

Esposito let out a strangled cry as Steve unceremoniously dropped him and sent his sprawling on the floor. He stood over the pitiful excuse for a man and glared down at him. Every instinct in his body was screaming at him to beat the shit of this man, but his conscience got the better of him.

Backing away, he heard a sound behind him and quickly turned. He was shocked when he saw Tony standing in the doorway with both hands held up in a peaceful gesture.

"Easy there, Rogers," Tony said as he hesitantly stepped into the room. "I know you're looking for revenge right now, but killing that piece of shit won't do anyone any good."

All of Steve's anger faded in an instant. "I wasn't going to. . ."

"I know," Tony said when Steve's words trailed off. "That's why I'm here."

Steve narrowed his eyes and gave Tony a questioning look. He heard Esposito trying to crawl away beside him, so he firmly planted on of his feet on his back to keep him where he wanted him. He couldn't help but be pleased when he heard the sound of one of Esposito's ribs cracking under the pressure of his boot.

"What are you planning?" Steve asked.

"Oh, you know," Tony said with a wink as he rounded the desk and started tapping away at the keyboard. "What I do best—getting into places I shouldn't be and spilling everyone's dirty secrets on the internet."

"I thought that was Nat's job?" 

Tony looked affronted. "She stole that from me. I've been hacking into government agencies since before she was born." He turned back to the computer and continued to dismantle all of Esposito's security.

After a few moments, he dramatically hit the return key and swiveled in the chair to look down at the mob boss still pinned under Steve's boot. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to keep all your eggs in one basket?" He made a tsking sound with his tongue as he shook his head. "I'm sorry to say that all of your files—and I mean all of them—are now sitting in the inbox of the NYPD's Chief of Police, the FBI, and Homeland Security. I give it less than twenty minutes before this place is crawling with every known law enforcement agency." He stood from the desk and tugged at the sleeves of his suit jacket. "And don't bother calling your lawyer—he's going to be needing one of his own by the end of the day."

"That's it?" Steve asked in disbelief.

Tony sighed and gave Steve a hard look. "This is how it's done now, Rogers. We don't get to barge in and play the hero anymore."

"Says the guy that took out a HYDRA facility across the border less than twenty-four hours ago."

"Did I?" Tony asked with a sheepish grin. "C'mon, Rogers, help me get this piece of shit up. We're going to leave a nice little gift-wrapped present for the cops."

Steve didn't argue, but instead helped Tony secure all the men in the deserted club before leaving to let the authorities handle the rest. While Esposito deserved a beating for what he'd done to both him and YN, he could also respect the way Tony had handled the situation. With the evidence the authorities now had on the mob boss, he'd be spending the rest of his life behind bars. But that only solved one of Steve's problems.

He still had YN's low-life brother to deal with, and he wouldn't be getting off as easily as Esposito had.

Tony had wanted to join him for the last part of Steve's mission, but Steve knew this was something he needed to do by himself. He'd been grateful for Tony's help with the mob boss, but this part of the plan was fairly simple and didn't need a diplomatic approach.

The facility was located behind tall, steel fencing that ran around the entire perimeter, but Steve was able to easily vault over the barrier and avoid the poorly spaced security cameras that surveilled the grounds. Under the cover of darkness, he crept toward the sprawling complex that was artfully lit with decorative border lights that were useless for security purposes.

Steve saw the man sneaking out a side door to grab a clandestine smoke, so he quickly slipped through the slowly closing door without alerting the employee to his presence. He hadn't been sure how he'd get past the motion detectors on the doors and windows, but it never failed that some dim-witted worker would put his owns habits and needs above the integrity of building security.

He remembered the advice Natasha had given him after HYDRA had put out the hit on them in D.C. "The first rule of going on the run is, don't run—walk." Steve had discovered over the years that if he looked like he belonged somewhere most people wouldn't question him, and as he casually strolled through the near-empty halls, it proved to be true yet again.

He found the room he was looking for, and without knocking, let himself in. The man sitting on the bed leafing through a magazine looked up in surprise, but a stern look from Steve had him cowering.

"You know who I am?" he asked the dumbstruck man.

He nodded his head. "Yeah, you're the damn boyfriend."

Steve cocked his head at the answer. He'd expected a little more respect from the man who'd almost gotten him killed, but then he remembered where he was and to whom he was speaking. "That's right," he agreed with a vicious smile. "I'm the boyfriend you tried to kill. Tell me, was it intentional, or are you just that stupid?"

YN's brother jumped up from the bed and glared at Steve. "I had no idea what Esposito was up to. I just wanted to get out of debt."

"I can understand that," Steve replied with a cool calmness that belied his true feelings. "What I can't tolerate is that you pulled your sister into your mess."

YN's brother shrugged a shoulder. "What can I say? She loves me more than she loves you apparently."

His words hurt Steve more than he was willing to acknowledge. On more than one occasion since he'd discovered the whole story, he'd wondered if it were true that YN didn't love him as much as her brother.

Taking a deep breath, he focused on the reason he was at the rehab facility. "That may be true, but let me ask you this. . .Will she still love you when you're rotting in prison? Will she visit you as often when she'll have to see you in an orange jumpsuit behind a bulletproof pane of glass?"

The other man's cocky expression began to rapid fade into one of panic. "What are you talking about?"

It was Steve's turn to adopt a cocky grin. "Oh, didn't you hear? Nicky Esposito was arrested today on multiple counts of extortion, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and murder—just to name a few. He's looking at consecutive life sentences that will ensure he never sees the light of day ever again."

"What's that got to do with me?"

Steve shook his head and made a tsking sound. "Nicky kept extremely detailed records. Didn't you know?" He waited for a beat, and when he saw the beads of sweat rolling down the other man's forehead, he knew he had him right where he wanted him. "YN doesn't know that you were dealing drugs for Nicky, does she? She doesn't know that the debt she was settling wasn't for gambling, but for undercutting your boss on the drugs."

"Are you going to tell her?"

"That depends."

"Look, man, I'll do whatever you want me to do," he begged. "Just don't tell YN I was dealing drugs as well as using them. She'll never forgive me."

Steve's temper got the better of him and he strode across the room and grabbed YN's brother by the collar of his shirt. Lifting him a few feet off the ground so their eyes were on the same level, Steve stared him down. "She should have washed her hands of you years ago."

"What do you want me to do?"

Regaining control of his rage, he lowered the other man to the ground and then smoothed out the front of his shirt to remove some of the wrinkles. "I've talked to the DA." He paused and saw the look of resignation pass over the other man's face. "You'll make a deal and instead of spending the rest of your life in a cage, you'll get a one way ticket to Albuquerque with a new name and a new life."

"Witness Protection."

Steve nodded. "See, I knew you weren't as stupid at Nicky said you were."

"What about YN?"

"You'll never see her again."

"Can I at least say goodbye?"

With a shake of his head, Steve pulled out his cell phone. "The offer is only good until I walk out that door. All I have to do is call the DA, and she'll get the paperwork ready. The U.S. Marshal's will be here in less than thirty minutes to start processing you into the system and get your testimony." He gave YN's brother a minute to process the information. "So, what'll it be? Prison or Witness Relocation?"

He dropped his head and muttered. "Call the DA."

Steve unlocked the phone and hit the speed dial number. Before the DA picked up, he looked up at the other man. "Good choice."

YN paced back and forth in the room that she'd shared with Steve up until a few days ago. Since he'd discovered the truth of what she'd done, he'd been sleeping on the couch in his office. He may have vacated the room, but she hadn't been sleeping there either. It was just too much for her to handle—too many memories were wrapped up within these four walls. 

She'd come back once Tony had returned from his rendezvous with Steve at the mob boss' headquarters. Learning that Steve had confronted Esposito, and with Tony's help had put him on the radar of multiple federal agencies, had given her hope that he might forgive her for the part she'd played in his poisoning. 

But then he hadn't returned.

Now she was left to wonder and worry about where he was and what he was doing. She had a sick feeling in 

her gut, and she was beginning to think the worst. 

There were a lot of things she wasn't entirely sure about these days, but the most pressing issue was her relationship with Steve. Could they ever put this colossal mistake behind them and move on with their lives, or was this end for them? That was the question that had plagued her for days. 

She'd had plenty of time to think about what would happen if Steve couldn't forgive her. It would be the end of their relationship, but it would also be the end of her career with the Avengers. There was no way she could continue with the team if Steve was incapable of trusting her. She knew he'd make a big deal of being a professional that could separate his personal life from his work, but she knew better—she knew he'd always look at her and wonder if she'd turn on him again.

Knowing that her time as a superhero could almost be over, she'd already decided to reach out to Fury. He'd need to be appraised of her actions, but she was fairly sure he'd give her another chance as a field agent somewhere far across the Atlantic where she wouldn't pose a risk to anyone or anything important. She knew her entire future rested on the shoulders of the man she'd trusted her life with on multiple occasions, but she'd never seen him like he'd been the past few days. Right now, she had no idea what was going on in his head, and therefore she couldn't predict what choice he'd ultimately make.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Turning around, she came face to face with the man who held her fate in the palm of his hand. She didn't say a word, but instead just stood silently and waited for him to speak first.

"Tony told me he filled you in on Esposito," he said as he let out long breath.

She nodded her head. "I'm glad you're letting the authorities handle him. Although, I'd have loved it if he'd gotten his ass beaten for what he. . .what I helped him do."

"Esposito wasn't the only person I paid a visit to tonight."

Confusion was evident on her face as she stared at him. His expression was unreadable, and that worried her more than if he'd been full of rage. "I'm sure you did what you felt you had to do."

"I went to see your brother."

For a moment she wondered if she was going to be sick. A host of possibilities ran through her mind—each one worse than the one before. She knew her brother was the bane of her existence, but he was still all the family she had left.

"And?" That one word was all she was capable of saying. She didn't want to outright accuse Steve of anything, even though her brother deserved whatever fate Steve had decided upon.

Steve gave her the eyebrows of disappointment. "He's alive, if that's what you're wondering."

"Steve. . ."

He held up a hand. "Don't." He put his hands on his hips and dropped his head. "He deserves much worse than what he got, but I didn't lay a hand on him."

She sighed heavily. "What did you do?"

"I gave him a choice—either go to prison with Esposito, or turn state's evidence and go into Witness Protection."

"Which did he choose?" she asked as her eyes grew wide with shock.

"For once in his miserable life, he made the right choice." Steve gave her a sad look. "The DA and the Marshal's were processing him when I left the rehab facility."

"So he won't spend anytime in prison?" she asked hopefully. "When can I see him?"

Steve didn't have to say a word for her to realize the truth of the matter. The deal her brother had made must have taken effect immediately, and she'd most likely never see him again. For one brief second, she felt a sense of relief, and she hated herself for it.

"I see," she said finally. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that, so I'm grateful."

"You're not mad?"

Her eyes closed as she considered his question. Was she mad? Did she have the right to be mad? No, she had no rights at all when it came to the decisions Steve made in the aftermath of what she'd done.

She looked back up and met his eyes. "You did what you had to do. I guess the only thing left to do is to decide what you're going to do with me."

He looked confused for a moment. "What do you mean?"

She swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat and tried to keep the tears at bay. "I can be gone by the morning, if that's what you want. I'm sure Fury can find me another assignment. . ."

He was across the room before she could finish her sentence. Her words were silenced when his lips crashed down upon hers. It took her a few moments to register the full one-eighty he'd just pulled on her, but once she'd wrapped her mind around what was happening, she wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

"You're not going anywhere," he murmured against her lips as he leaned his forehead against hers. "I love you, YN."

"But I betrayed you," she reminded him.

He gave her a long look. "You made a choice to save your brother. I'd have done the same for someone I loved—in fact, I made a similar choice with Bucky not too long ago." He paused and ran a hand down her face. "You had no idea what they planned to do."

"Just like that, you're going to forgive me?"

"I've had a few days to think since I found out." He breath came out in a huff. "I know you don't want to hear it, but your brother was always going to have a hold over you. I did the only thing I could I think of to get him out of your life without sending him to prison."

She nodded. "You're right. I love him, but he's always been a screwup and that was never going to change. I'm actually kind of relieved he'll be somewhere safe, and I won't be the one responsible for him anymore."

"So, we're good?" he asked with a hopeful look.

"Yeah, we're good." She leaned in and kissed him again. Things would never be exactly the same as they'd been, but they had a good foundation to start again. Perhaps in time they'd forget all about this unfortunate incident, but for now the worst was behind them.

"This dress is cute, don't you think?" YN held up the pink frilly dress without looking to see if Tony and Pepper's little girl was paying attention. When she didn't get an answer, she looked down, but Morgan was nowhere to be found. "Where's Morgan?"

Pepper glanced up from the rack of clothes she was sifting through. "She was right here." She turned and started scanning the children's boutique for her daughter. When she spotted her, she sighed and pointed YN in the right direction. "She's over in the boys' section."

YN's gaze landed on Morgan and she couldn't help but start chuckling. "She found the Iron Man toys." She paused for a moment to consider. "Why isn't there a line of Iron Man clothes and accessories for little girls?" YN held up a few t-shirts with Nat, Wanda, and Carol's imagines screen-printed on the front. "I'm not saying we shouldn't have these, but sometimes the girls want a shirt with Tony or Steve—and not all girls like pink."

Pepper's mind immediately began turning. "You're absolutely right. When I go back to work tomorrow, I'm going to get right on that."

Looking at the adorable dress one last time, YN put it back on the rack and followed Pepper across the store where Morgan was giddily playing with a toy Iron Man gauntlet.

"Identify yourself, or be disintegrated," Morgan warned as she turned the gauntlet on her mom and YN.

Playing along, Pepper held up both of her hands in surrender. "It's just me, your loving mother."

YN laughed and copied Pepper's stance. "I'm not your enemy, Iron Man."

Morgan erupted in a fit of giggles. "I'm not Iron Man."

Pepper crouched down and took the gauntlet off Morgan's hand. "You like this, huh?" When Morgan nodded her head bashfully, Pepper caved. "Okay, you can have one toy. . ." She paused and narrowed her gaze at her daughter. "If. . ."

"If I be good," Morgan finished as she began giggling again. "I'm always good, though. Daddy says so."

Picking up her little girl and hugging her tightly, Pepper rolled her eyes. "I just bet he does."

YN smiled and began looking through the superhero section of clothes for shirts that would fit Morgan. Finding a few, she pulled them out and showed them to the little girl. "How about these?"

Morgan nodded. "Daddy and Uncle Steve."

Pepper took the shirts from YN. "I don't care what she wears along as she doesn't start asking her father for an S-U-I-T."

"What's an S-U-I-T?" Morgan asked as her face scrunched up in concentration.

"Something you'll get when you're older," Pepper answered. "Like fifty. Fifty is the perfect age for an S-U-I-T."

"You think?" YN asked teasingly.

Pepper shook her head with a laugh as she set Morgan down and began walking toward the registers. "Hopefully, I'll be too old and preoccupied with grandchildren by that point to worry too much."

YN was about to say something else her when someone bumped into her from behind. She turned to apologize, but the words died on her lips as she came face to face with a masked man. "Who. . ."

He shoved a small box into her hands and turned to run. YN shoved the box toward Pepper and took off after the guy.

The children's boutique was right next to the food court in the mall, so the man was able to slip into the crowd of people milling about trying to decide between pressure cooked fried chicken and Asian fusion. YN tried to peer over their heads, but there were just too many people.

She pushed through as best she could, but once she was free of the crowds, something off to her right caught her eye. Walking over to the trash can, she pulled out a black ski mask and a coat with an angry huff. She turned a full three-sixty, but without his disguise, her assailant could be any one of the people casually strolling through the mall.

Defeated, she began retracing her steps back to Pepper and Morgan. Seeing Pepper's pale white face surrounded by a group of mall security officers, YN began running the rest of the way.

"What's wrong?" YN asked as she looked around for Morgan. Her first thought was that someone had been sent to distract her so they could take the little girl, but she was safe and sound, hiding behind her mother with a fearful look on her innocent face.

"You're going to want to see this," Pepper said as she held out the box to YN.

In all the confusion, YN had completely forgotten about the box the masked man had handed her. With a feeling of dread, she took it from Pepper and carefully opened the lid. She couldn't stop the sudden retching of her stomach, and she struggled to keep her lunch from coming back up at the sight that awaited her.

Sitting on a bed of what she assumed had once been white cotton was a severed finger, the blood still fresh and staining the cotton around it bright red. "What the hell?"

YN continued to stare at the severed finger in the box when something caught her eye. She got the attention of the closest security guard and asked for the ink pen in his shirt pocket. Using the pen to roll the finger over, she sighed and dropped her head.

"What's wrong?" Pepper asked.

"It's my idiot brother."

Pepper's eyes grew wide. "The one that. . .?

"Yeah," YN interrupted before Pepper could finish listing all the horrible things her brother had done in the past few months. 

"I thought he was in. . ." She paused and glanced around to make sure no one was listening before covering one side of her mouth with her hand and whispering the rest of her sentence. ". . .Witness Protection."

"He's supposed to be," YN said with a tight-lipped grimace. 

"How do you know for sure it's his?"

YN showed her the tiny tattoo on the side of the severed finger. "It's his Zodiac constellation. He got it when he turned eighteen."

While YN finished filing the report with mall security, Pepper got on the phone to let Tony and Steve know what was going on. The two men arrived just before the actual police, so they were able to take the evidence and leave before things got too complicated for them to handle on their own.

"I had Ross check with the Marshal service, and your brother was abducted outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico this morning," Tony said once they were in the car heading back to the Tower.

"That was quick," Pepper said.

"Do we know if it's HYDRA?" Steve asked as he began reading the report Tony had just pulled up on the holographic display.

YN scoffed. "Who else would it be?" 

Steve reached out and squeezed YN's hand before turning back Tony. "Any idea where they are now?"

Tony nodded toward the box with the finger. "No idea, but I have a feeling they'll be in contact soon."

As soon as Happy parked the car in the underground garage, FRIDAY alerted Tony to a package waiting for him in the lobby.

"Bingo," Tony muttered as he picked up Morgan and headed toward the elevator.

"And Bingo was his name-o," Morgan began singing causing Tony's face to break out in a huge grin.

"You're going to go with Uncle Happy for a little bit," Tony told the precocious little girl. "Make him get you a cheeseburger."

"Cheeseburder," Morgan happily echoed as she reached out for Happy to take her from her Daddy's arms.

"Keep her safe until we have this under control," Tony told Happy before he and the others got into the elevator.

"Sure thing, boss," Happy said as he turned and headed back to the car with Morgan. "You want McDonald's or Five Guys?"

The elevator doors shut and the four of them rode up to the lobby in silence. None of them knew what awaited them, but they were all on edge to see what HYDRA would do next.

"This arrived for you about ten minutes ago, Mr. Stark," the young man at the front desk said as he handed Tony a bottle of wine with a small card attached.

"I'm sensing a theme," Tony deadpanned as he pursed his lips and opened the card.

"What's it say?" Pepper asked.

"Amidst a Bed of roses, Bathed in sunlight, you'll have to look Beyond the ordinary to find the rest of your brother," Tony read aloud. "The words Bed, Bathed, and Beyond are all capitalized."

"Bed, Bath, and Beyond," YN muttered under her breath as she shook her head.

"The store?" Pepper asked as her nose scrunched up in confusion. "What's that have to do with anything?"

"The statue of me in Brooklyn," Steve explained before YN could say anything. "It was in Prospect Park, but not everyone was a fan. It was moved to the Bed, Bath, and Beyond a few months ago."

"So, what? We're just supposed to believe that HYDRA is keeping YN's brother tied up between the shower curtains and bath towels, and no one is noticing?"

"They've probably got him somewhere else," YN reasoned. "This is just their way of getting us to play their game."

"I don't like this game," Pepper said with a frown.

Tony gave her a wink. "Which is why we're going to change the rules."

"I'm having FRIDAY do scans of the entire area," Tony announced over the comms as he and Pepper flew from the Tower to Brooklyn.

Steve was on his bike, with YN riding behind him. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his torso as he wove in and around the traffic in the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel. He knew Tony would beat him and YN to the store, but he was hoping the extra time would allow them to scout out the area and find the actual location of YN's brother.

"See anything yet?" YN asked as her heart leapt into her throat when Steve squeezed between two semis going in opposite directions.

"There's a lot of heat signatures at the store," Pepper said. "But we were expecting that."

"I'm checking the Bay," Tony said as he directed FRIDAY to search the Gowanus Bay a few blocks from the Bed, Bath, and Beyond. "There's a small yacht sitting just beyond the canal. I'm getting ten heat signatures."

"A yacht in the middle of a commercial shipping zone?" Steve asked. "Why don't they just paint a huge target on themselves?"

"HYDRA isn't the brightest anymore, Cap," Tony snarked. "We've taken out most of the brains of the operation—all they've got left are the idiots."

"What's the play?" YN asked as Steve came out of the tunnel into Brooklyn. "We can't get to the yacht, but you two can."

"You and Cap head to the store and take out the agents there," Tony said. "Pep and I will handle the guys on the yacht."

"Try not to kill my brother. . .if you can."

Tony heard the sarcasm in her tone and had to appreciate the fact that she'd been able to keep her sense of humor throughout this whole ordeal. He wasn't sure he'd have been able to separate his feelings on the matter if it had been one of his family members.

"Gotcha, kid," Tony replied before syncing up with Pepper. "I gave Ross a heads up that he'd be getting some more goons today. That'll make his day, won't it?"

Steve chuckled as he pulled up to the front of the Bed, Bath, and Beyond. "Hardly. More HYDRA agents means more paperwork for him."

The whole operation took less than ten minutes between the four of them. Tony hadn't been joking when he'd said all the smartest minds in HYDRA had already been taken care of. The only agents left were ones that were trying to score their last pay day before disappearing off the face of the earth. They'd thought by making the fight personal, the Avengers would get sloppy, but they'd been horribly wrong.

Tony had a medic waiting on the docks to take YN's brother once he and Pepper had neutralized the threat—or lack thereof—on the yacht. He'd lost a lot of blood and was drifting in and out of consciousness by the time YN and Steve arrived.

"Hey, sis," her brother murmured.

"Shh, don't try to talk," she told him as she patted his shoulder. "We'll get you all fixed up."

"My finger. . ."

"We've got it back at the Tower," she explained. "They'll try to reattach it, but they can't promise any miracles."

The medics got him loaded up in the ambulance and headed back to the Tower as YN turned back to the team. "I can't thank you enough." The weight of the day settled down on her shoulders and she hung her head with a heavy sigh. "I feel horrible that my personal life keeps interfering with our work."

Steve wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to him. "There's nothing to apologize for—Tony's personal life is always rearing its ugly head."

"Hey, now." Tony's face scrunched up. 

Pepper began ticking off people on her fingers. "Obadiah Stane, Justin Hammer, Aldrich Killian. . ."

Tony placed a hand over Pepper's mouth to keep her from going on and turned to YN and Steve. "You might have a point."

"I know I do," Steve said before meeting YN's eyes. "No one plans for these things to happen. . ."

"You can say that again," YN lamented as she shook her head. "I don't know where things went wrong for my brother, but this was not how I envisioned his life. We both had so many plans when we were younger."

"You can't blame yourself for his decisions," Pepper said with a sad smile. "You've accomplished everything you've set out to do—he's the only one responsible for the way his life has turned out."

YN nodded. "I know you're right, but it's still hard to accept." She thought about Pepper's observation for a moment. "Maybe he never really had any plans of his own. Maybe I was the one with the plan for his life all along." She looked at Steve. "Did I expect too much of him?"

He kissed her temple and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "No, honey. Your brother is just a complicated individual."

"He is, isn't he?" She swallowed hard and began to face the facts. Her brother was a screwup and he'd always be a screwup. But if she didn't do something about him now, he'd be a thorn in her side for the rest of her life.

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_Author's Note: Thank you for reading Day 270 of my writing challenge. I hope you enjoyed it! It seems as though our Reader is owning up to some tough realizations. Do any of you know someone that seems to sabotage themselves in spite of everyone else's efforts to help them out? I don't know what it is about this generation, but I know more people like that than I care to admit. What do you think she's going to do about her brother? I already know, but I'm not telling! I look forward to your comments, and if you enjoyed this story, please consider reblogging!_

YN sat by her brother's bedside and waited for the anesthesia to wear off. Dr. Cho had been in D.C. for a conference and had been kind enough to fly up to repair the damage HYDRA had inflicted. She knew that Helen was an extremely talented doctor, but even she had her limits. Helen might have been able to fix the physical problems her brother had, but the psychological ones were a whole other story.

As she'd sat outside the med bay and waited for him to come out of surgery, she'd gone over her options. They'd tried doing things the right way with the government, but even the Marshal service hadn't been able to keep her brother safe.

There was only one other option—and it would solve all of her problems.

She saw his eyes start to flutter, so she reached out to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Hey. How ya feeling?"

"Good," he mumbled with a big, goofy grin on his face.

Glancing up at the IV bag full of drugs, YN wasn't surprised to hear that answer from him. "Dr. Cho was able to reattach your finger."

He lifted his hand, but frowned when he saw the thick, white bandages covering it. "It's there? I can't feel it."

She chuckled. "It's there, I promise."

Looking over at her, he used his non-injured hand to reach out and cup her face. "I'm sorry, sis. I'm such a screwup."

"It's okay," she said as she laid her hand over his. She knew it was a lie, but sometimes you had to lie to the ones you loved.

"What happens now?"

She took a deep breath and decided to lay it all on the line at once. "You can't stay here anymore. It's not safe."

"Back to Albuquerque?"

"No." She shook her head as a tight-lipped smile forced her mouth into a hard line. "You can't stay on Earth any longer."

"Huh?"

"We've got some friends that are willing to take you on as part of their crew," she explained. "As long as HYDRA is still operational, you'll always be in danger of being used by them. Getting you off-planet is the only option."

"I'm going to space?" he asked as he struggled to sit up. He might have still been a little loopy from the drugs, but even in his dazed state, he knew this was a conversation that he needed to be a little more aware for.

"You know Thor, right?"

"The God of Thunder?"

YN nodded. "He's traveling with a group that calls themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy. From what I've been told, they all come from backgrounds similar to yours, so you should fit right in."

He gave her a disbelieving look. "Who's idea was this? Mr. Perfect?"

She sighed and closed her eyes. "This was my idea. I need to know you're safe, and the safest place right now if off this planet." She looked back up at him. "This isn't up for discussion. Quill is on his way back to Earth right now, and as soon as he gets here, you're going whether you like it or not."

"I don't have a say in this at all?" he huffed as he looked away from her. He wanted to be mad, but deep down he knew she was right. "I could get pissed, but that's not going to do me any good, will it?"

"Nope."

"What do these Guardians do?"

YN saw the glint of interest in his eye and pounced on the opportunity to really sell the idea of intergalactic spacecapades. The more she talked about the Guardians' adventures, the more excited her brother became. She knew she'd miss him, but at least with Thor looking out for him, she knew she didn't have to worry.

The meds eventually kicked in again, and he started to drift off. She told him she'd be back after he'd rested for a bit, but he was already passed out by the time she leaned over to kiss his forehead.

"He seems excited to be exiled from the planet," Steve observed as he leaned against the doorjamb with his arms crossed over his chest.

YN shook her head. "It's just another adventure for him." She looked back at her brother sleeping peacefully. "From what I've heard, he and Quill have a lot in common."

"Quill's turned his life around from what Nebula has told us," he reminded her. "Maybe being around someone who's been in his shoes will help your brother realize his potential."

"Maybe."

He reached out for her and drew her into his embrace. "Have I told you how proud of you I am for making this decision?"

"No," she murmured into his chest.

"Your relationship with your brother isn't healthy," he said carefully. "But I think you know that."

She took a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. "I do."

"This is a step in the right direction. I know you'll miss him, but having him off-planet is going to be the best thing for your mental health."

"He doesn't spark joy, so he's got to go," she teased.

Steve chuckled. "That's one way of looking at it." 

She pulled back enough so she could look him in the eye. "I love you, you know."

He placed a quick kiss on her lips. "I love you, too."

** _~ The End ~_ **

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_Author's Note: Thank you for dreading Day 279 of my writing challenge. I hope you enjoyed it! Good mental health is something I think most of us long to have, am I right? Do you think the Reader made the right decision? HYDRA was never going to stop trying to exploit that weakness, so she made the only decision that seemed rational. Do you think her brother will enjoy being on the Benatar with the rest of the Guardians? Would you? Do you think she and Steve will finally be able to put all of this craziness behind them and begin to move forward again? I look forward to your comments, and if you enjoyed this story, please consider reblogging!_


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